FAQ

VSL#3 is a patented combination of live lactic acid bacteria probiotics that have been cultivated, freeze-dried and mixed in high concentration (hundreds of billions per gram).

VSL#3 is the probiotic that has been proven in clinical studies to be effective in serious gastro-intestinal disorders, and in particular in the management and preventions of pouchitis. Pouchitis, an inflammation of the small bowel reservoir or pouch, is the most frequenet long-term complication following colon removal and pouch creation surgery for ulcerative colitis.

VSL#3 has the highest possible concentration of bacteria. Each packet of VSL3 contains 450 billion live lactic acid bacteria. This high number is necessry to ensure the establishment of lactic acid bacteria in the gut andf trigger the desired effects in the intestinal tract.

VSL#3 science speaks for itself. 8 strains of bacteria have been purposefully selected, carefully cultivated and mixed proportionately to obtain the proven experimental and clinical effects of VSL#3:

• Bifidobacterium breve
• Bifidobacterium longum
• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Lactobacillus casei
• Lactobacillus bulgaricus
• Streptococcus thermophilus

Probiotic Medical Food As a probiotic medical food, VSL#3® is specially formulated and processed to provide a precise mixture of certain bacterial species with potential synergistic relationships. The importance of the gastrointestinal microflora in the normal
functioning of the human gastrointestinal tract is well recognized12-15. Several studies demonstrate that patients with IBS, UC or an ileal pouch have decreased luminal concentrations of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria compared with healthy individuals16-23. Patients with IBS, UC or an ileal pouch may benefit from consuming high levels of probiotic bacteria so as to maintain the appropriate quantity and balance of beneficial microflora in their gastrointestinal tract. This is particularly important for patients with UC or an ileal pouch in view of their frequent and often long term antibiotic treatment. Hence, IBS, UC and ileal pouch patients have a distinct nutritional requirement that differs from normal individuals. Daily consumption of high levels of probiotic bacteria is needed to maintain adequate and balanced colonization in the gastrointestinal tract, and this cannot be achieved simply by modification of the normal diet.